1957/58 – Gunsmoke was #1 on CBS Saturday.
Note: Any BOLD shows were cancelled in 1957 season; The Life Of Riley was cancelled
in the sixth season.
Alternate Series:
The Jack Benny Show and Bachelor Father were on CBS Sunday at 7:30 PM.
The Brothers and Bachelor Father were on CBS Sunday at 7:30 PM during the summer.
Cheyenne and Sugarfoot were on ABC Tuesday at 7:30 PM.
The George Gobel Show and The Eddie Fisher Show were on NBC Tuesday at 8 PM.
Armstrong Circle Theatre & The U.S. Steel Hour was on CBS Wednesday at 10 PM.
Club Oasis and The Polly Bergen Show were on NBC Saturday at 9 PM.
Club Oasis and Opening Night were on NBC Saturday at 10:30 PM for the summer.
Anniversary:
Arthur Godfrey & His Friends celebrated ten years on CBS.
Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts celebrated ten years on CBS.
The Jane Wyman Show celebrated ten years on NBC.
The Perry Como Show celebrated ten years on TV.
Studio One celebrated ten years on CBS; it was their last season.
Biggest New Hit: Have Gun, Will Travel was #4 on CBS Saturday. CBS had the one two punch with the two biggest westerns
on TV. Gunsmoke and Have Gun, Will Travel became the new sheriffs on Saturday. They shot down any competition they faced.
The victims were Mike Wallace Interviews, The Gisele Mackenzie Show, What's It For, Sammy Kaye's Music from Manhattan, Cimarron
City, Jubilee U.S.A., Five Fingers, Nation's Future and others throughout the years. From 1958–1961, the top three was
Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and Have Gun, Will Travel.
Daytime: The Buccaneers was on ABC Monday afternoons from September 1957–September 1958.
Movies 2 TV: How To Marry A Millionaire was based on the 1953 Marilyn Monroe movie.
Name Change:
Club Oasis to Club Oasis Starring Spike Jones
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show to The Dinah Shore Show
Meet McGraw to The Adventures Of McGraw
National Bowling Champions to Bowling Stars
Ozark Jubilee to Country Music Jubilee
The Vice to Saber Of London
Harbourmaster to Adventures At Scott Island
Original Run:
Have Gun, Will Travel was on CBS Saturday at 9:30 PM.
Zorro was on ABC Thursday at 8 PM for two seasons.
Radio: Have Gun, Will Travel was on CBS from 1958–1960.
Reruns:
CBS aired Air Power reruns in the summer.
CBS aired The Brothers reruns in the summer.
CBS aired The Search reruns in the summer.
NBC aired The Joseph Cotten Show reruns in the summer.
NBC aired Noah's Ark reruns in the summer.
Frontier Justice shown reruns of Zane Grey Theater episodes for the summer on CBS.
Johnson's Wax Theatre shown reruns of Schlitz Playhouse episodes for the summer on CBS.
Opening Night shown reruns of the ABC series, Ford Theatre.
Personal Appearance shown reruns of Schlitz Playhouse and Screen Director's Playhouse.
Spotlight Playhouse shown reruns of The Loretta Young Show. Anita Louis was the host for the summer.
Undercurrent shown reruns of NBC's The Web.
The Return:
NBC revived Colgate Theatre was a summer series in 1958. This version was rejected pilots for the fall.
Frank Sinatra returned to ABC after a seven–year absence. Both of his shows flopped big time on CBS and ABC. Other
big time singers like Perry Como and Dinah Shore had hit TV shows. Why not, Frank Sinatra?
Famous Fights returned to ABC after a five–year absence. It was previously on DUM in 1952.
NBC revived Comment in January 1958. It was last seen in 1954.
NBC revived Truth Or Consequences in December 1957.
Summer Replacement:
The Bob Crosby Show replaced The Perry Como Show for the summer.
The Chevy Show replaced The Dinah Shore Chevy Show for the summer.
Decision replaced The Loretta Young Show for the summer.
Destiny replace Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater for the summer.
Frontier Justice replaced December Bride for the summer.
Personal Appearance replaced Person To Person for the summer.
The Steve Lawrence–Eydie Gorme Show replaced The Steve Allen Show for the summer.
Undercurrent replaced The Lineup for the summer.
Switch Networks:
Armstrong Circle Theatre went from NBC to CBS.
The Danny Thomas Show went from ABC to CBS.
Harbourmaster went from CBS to ABC.
My Friend Flicka went from CBS to NBC.
Telephone Time went from CBS to ABC.
Treasure Hunt went from ABC to NBC.
West Point Story went from CBS to ABC.
Tidbits:
Goodyear TV Playhouse was no longer broadcast LIVE. It was LIVE for the first six years.
The Trackdown episodes were adapted from real cases from The Texas Rangers.
The CBS version of Twilight Playhouse aired reruns of films from Schlitz Playhouse Of Stars.
ABC paid Frank Sinatra $3 million to have him on their network. Actually, it was a bad investment; it ran second/third
in the time period. The only good thing to come out was the professional debut of his seventeen daughter, Nancy Sinatra.
Tombstone Territory left ABC after a year for a sale in syndication. Sadly, there were no takers. ABC took it back in March
1959 for a few months.
Michael Landon was in a 1956 Jim Bowie episode.
Betty White starred in Date with the Angels.
Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, real husband and wife, hosted their own musical variety show, The Steve Lawrence–Eydie
Gorme Show.
The Circus Boy, Mickey Braddock later became a Monkee in 1966, using his real last name, Dolenz.
Tales Of E.S.P. replaced E.S.P. after three weeks. Vincent Price hosted both series.
Warner Brothers Studios had some trouble with the Colt. 45 star, Wayde Preston, just like James Garner and Clint Walker.
Donald May replaced him on Colt .45 in the last season.
A Turn Of Fate was the umbrella title for Alcoa Theatre and Goodyear TV Playhouse; the fate was finished in February 1958.
There were twenty filmed dramas and twenty LIVE dramas on Suspicion. Alfred Hitchcock produced half of the filmed dramas.
He already had his own show on CBS.
The Betty White Show took over Betty White's former time slot of Date With The Angels.
Robert Serling and Anne Jeffreys, real married couple, starred together in a series, Love That Jill.
The Grey Ghost was originally for CBS, but some sponsors backed out. Therefore, CBS syndicated the series to local stations.
1957/58 Fall Season
One Season (1957/58)
Alcoa Theatre – 1957–1950, NBC, dramatic anthology, Jack Lemmon
Bachelor Father – 1957–1959, CBS; 1959–1961, NBC; 1961/62, ABC, comedy, John Forsythe
The Californians – 1957–1959, NBC, western, Sean McClory
Colt .45 – 1957–1960, ABC; western, Wayde Preston
The Eddie Fisher Show – 1957–1959, NBC, musical variety, Eddie Fisher, George Gobel
Have Gun, Will Travel – 1957–1963, CBS, western, Richard Boone
Leave It To Beaver – 1957/58, CBS; 1958–1963, ABC, comedy, Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont
M Squad – 1957–1960, NBC, police drama, Lee Marvin
Maverick – 1957–1962, ABC, western, James Garner
The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom – 1957–1960, ABC, musical variety, Pat Boone
Perry Mason – 1957–1966, CBS, drama, Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale
The Price Is Right – 1957–1963, NBC; 1963/64, ABC, game, Bill Cullen
The Real McCoys – 1957–1962, ABC; 1962/63, CBS, comedy, Walter Brennan
The Restless Gun – 1957–1959, NBC, western, John Payne
Saber Of London – 1957–1960, NBC, detective drama,
Sugarfoot – 1957–1961, ABC, western, Will Hutchins
The Thin Man - 1957–1959, NBC; detective/comedy, Peter Lawford
Tic Tac Dough - 1957–1959, NBC; quiz, Jay Jackson
Tombstone Territory – 1957/58, March/October 1959, ABC, western, Pat Conway
Trackdown – 1957–1959, CBS, western, Robert Culp
Wagon Train – 1957–1962, NBC; 1962 – 1965, ABC, western, Ward Bond
Zorro – 1957–1959, ABC, western, Guy Williams
Cancelled TV shows
American Bandstand – ABC, music, Dick Clark
Assignment Foreign Legion – CBS, adventure anthology, Merle Oberon
The Big Record – CBS, music, LIVE, Patti Page
Club Oasis – NBC, variety, Spike Jones
The Court of Last Resort – NBC, crime drama, Paul Birch
Dick and the Duchess – CBS, comedy/adventure, Patrick O’Neal
The Eve Arden Show – CBS, comedy, Eve Arden
The Frank Sinatra Show – ABC, variety/drama, Frank Sinatra
The Gisele MacKenzie Show – NBC, musical variety, Gisele MacKenzie
The Guy Mitchell Show – ABC, musical variety, Guy Mitchell
Harbourmaster – CBS, adventure, Barry Sullivan
Keep It in the Family – ABC, game, Keefe Brasselle
The Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney – NBC, musical variety, Rosemary Clooney
O.S.S. – ABC, war drama, Ron Randell
The Patrice Munsel Show – ABC, musical variety, Patrice Munsel
The Polly Bergen Show – NBC, musical variety, Polly Bergen
Sally – NBC, comedy, Joan Caulfield, Gale Gordon
Suspicion – NBC, suspense anthology, LIVE, Dennis O'Keefe
Walter Winchell File – ABC, crime anthology, Walter Winchell
What's It For – NBC, quiz, Hal March
22 out of 42 new series SURVIVED for 1958/59
ABC – 7/14, Colt .45, Maverick, The Pat Boone-Chevy
Showroom, The Real McCoys, Sugarfoot, Tombstone Territory & Zorro
CBS – 5/10, Bachelor Father, Have Gun, Will Travel,
Leave It To Beaver, Perry Mason & Trackdown
NBC – 10/18, Alcoa Theatre, The Californians, The
Eddie Fisher Show, M Squad, The Price Is Right, The Restless Gun, Saber Of London, The Thin Man, Tic Tac Dough & Wagon
Mid season shows
Anybody Can Play – July–December 1958, ABC, game, George Fenneman
The Billy Graham Crusade – 1957–1959, ABC, religion
Buckskin – July 1958–1959, NBC, western, Tommy Nolan
Buick Action Theater – ABC, dramatic anthology
The Chevy Show – 1958–1959, NBC, musical variety, John Raitt
Confession – June 1958–1959, ABC, interview/discussion, Jack Wyatt
The Dick Clark Show – February 1958–1960, ABC, music, Dick Clark
Fight Beat – April 1958–1959, NBC, sports commentary, Bud Palmer
Frontier Justice – 1958, 1959, CBS, western anthology, Lew Ayres
It Could Be You – July 1958–1961, NBC, audience participation, Bill Leyden
Jefferson Drum – April 1958–1959, NBC, western, Jeff Richards
Keep Talking – July 1958–1959, CBS; 1959/60, ABC, quiz, Monty Hall
Outlook – December 1957–1959, NBC, news/documentary, Chet Huntley
Stars Of Jazz – April–November 1958, ABC, music, Bobby Troup
This Is Music – July 1958–1959, ABC; music LIVE, Colin Male
Traffic Court – June 1958–1959, ABC, courtroom drama, Edgar Allan Jones, Jr.
Twilight Theater – July 1958–1959, CBS, dramatic anthology
Your Neighbor The World – April 1958–1959, ABC, documentary
Cancelled Mid Season Shows
Adorn Playhouse – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns
American Odyssey – ABC, documentary
Baseball Corner – ABC, sports discussion, Buddy Blattner
The Betty White Show – ABC, comedy/variety, Betty White
Bid 'N' Buy – CBS, quiz, Bert Parks
The Big Game – NBC, quiz, Tom Kennedy
Blondie – NBC, comedy, Arthur Lake
The Bob Crosby Show – NBC, musical variety, Bob Crosby
The Boing Boing Show – CBS, cartoon, Bill Goodwin
Campaign Countdown – ABC, news analysis, Quincy Howe
Comment – NBC, public affairs
Decision – NBC, dramatic anthology
Dotto – NBC, quiz, Jack Narz
E.S.P. – ABC, audience participation, 3 episodes, Vincent Price
The End Of The Rainbow – NBC, audience participation, 6 episodes, Art Baker
Frigidaire Summer Theater – ABC, dramatic anthology, reruns
Haggis Baggis – NBC, quiz, Jack Linkletter
Holiday Handbook – ABC, travelogue
The Investigator – NBC, detective drama, LIVE, Lonny Chapman
Johnson's Wax Theatre – CBS, dramatic anthology
Love That Jill – ABC, comedy, Robert Serling, Anne Jeffreys
Make Me Laugh – ABC, audience participation, Robert Q. Lewis
The March Of Medicine – ABC, documentary, 4 episodes, Ben Grauer
Modern Science Theater – ABC, documentary
Music Bingo – NBC, quiz, Johnny Gilbert
NBC Sports Spot – NBC, sports commentary, 3 episodes, Red Barber
No Warning – NBC, dramatic anthology, Westbrook Van Voorhis
Opening Night – NBC, dramatic anthology, Arlene Dahl
Personal Appearance – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns
Scotland Yards – ABC, police anthology, Edgar Lustgarten
Sid Caesar Invites You – ABC, comedy/variety, LIVE, Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca
Sing Along – CBS, music, LIVE, 6 episodes, Florence Henderson
The Steve Lawrence–Eydie Gorme Show – NBC, musical variety, Steve Lawrence
Tales Of E.S.P. – ABC, drama, 4 episodes, Vincent Price
Truth Or Consequences – NBC, quiz, Steve Dunne
Top Dollar – CBS, quiz, Toby Reed
Turning Point – NBC, dramatic anthology, reruns
The Verdict Is Yours – CBS, courtroom drama, Jim McKay
Win With A Winner – NBC, quiz, Sandy Elliot
Wingo – CBS, quiz, Bob Kennedy
Syndication
The Gray Ghost – syndication, adventure, Tod Andrews, Phil Chambers
Harbor Command – syndication, crime drama, Wendell Corey
How To Marry A Millionaire – 1957–1959, syndication, comedy, Barbara Eden
Man Without A Gun – 1957–1959, syndication, western, Rex Reason
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer – 1957–1959, syndication, detective drama, Darren McGavin
Sea Hunt – January 1958–1961, syndication, adventure, Lloyd Bridges
Target – syndication, dramatic anthology, Adolphe Menjou
26 Men – 1957–1959, syndication, western, Tris Coffin
Two Seasons (1956/57)
The Adventures of Jim Bowie – 1956–1958, ABC, western
Broken Arrow – 1956–1958, ABC, western
Circus Boy – 1956/57, NBC; 1957/58, ABC, adventure
Cowtown Rodeo – 1957, 1958, ABC, rodeo
Date with the Angels – May 1957–1958, ABC, comedy
Destiny – 1957, 1958, CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre – 1956–1961, CBS, western anthology
The Dinah Shore Show – 1956–1963, NBC, variety
Enterprise – July 1957–1958, ABC, documentary
Famous Fights – July/December 1957, ABC, sports
The Gale Storm Show – 1956–1959, CBS; 1959/60, ABC, comedy
The Last Word – June 1957–1958, CBS, informational/panel
Lawrence Welk's Top Tunes And New Talent – 1956–1959, ABC, talent
Meet McGraw – July 1957–1958, NBC, detective
Mike Wallace Interviews – April 1957–1958, ABC, interview
Mr. Adams and Eve – January 1957–1958, CBS, comedy
The Nat "King" Cole Show – 1956–1957, NBC, musical variety
The New Adventures Of Charlie Chan – June 1957–1958, syndication, mystery
Open Hearing – February 1957–1958, ABC, public affairs, LIVE
Playhouse 90 – 1956–1961, CBS, dramatic anthology
Richard Diamond, Private Detective – July 1957–1959, CBS; 1959/60, NBC, detective drama
The Sheriff Of Cochise – 1956–1960, syndication, police drama
The Silent Service – March 1957–1958, syndication, dramatic anthology
Sports Focus – June 1957–1958, ABC, sports news/commentary, LIVE
State Trooper – January 1957–1959, syndication, crime drama
Tales Of Wills Fargo – March 1957–1962, NBC, western
To Tell The Truth – December 1956–1967, CBS, game
Treasure Hunt – 1956/57, ABC; 1957/58, NBC, quiz
Twenty-One – 1956–1959, NBC, game
West Point Story – 1956/57, CBS; 1957/58, ABC, military anthology
The Whirlybirds – January 1957–1959, syndication, adventure
Three Seasons (1955/56)
The Adventures Of Robin Hood – 1955–1958, CBS, adventure
Alfred Hitchcock Presents – 1955–1960, CBS; 1960–1962, NBC; 1962–1964, CBS; 1964/65, NBC, suspense
anthology
Bold Journey – July 1956–1959, ABC; travel documentary
Bowling Stars – April 1956–December 1957, ABC, sports
Cheyenne – 1955–1963, ABC, western
The Ford Show Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford – 1956–1961, NBC, musical variety
Gunsmoke – 1955–1975, CBS, western
Highway Patrol – 1955–1959, syndication, crime drama
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp – 1955–1961, ABC, western
My Friend Flicka – February 1956–1957, CBS; 1957/58, NBC, adventure
Navy Log – 1955/56, CBS; 1956–1958, ABC, military anthology
The People's Choice – 1955–1958, NBC, comedy
The Phil Silvers Show – 1955–1959, CBS, comedy
Saber Of Love – December 1955–1957, ABC; 1957–1960, NBC, detective drama
Sergeant Preston Of The Yukon – 1955–1958, CBS, police drama
$64,000 Challenge – April 1956–1958, CBS, quiz
The Steve Allen Show – June 1956–1960, NBC, variety
Telephone Time – April 1956–1957, CBS; 1957/58, ABC, dramatic anthology
Wednesday Night Fights – 1955–1960, ABC, boxing
Four Seasons (1954/55)
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin – 1954–1959, ABC, western
The Bob Cummings Show – January/September 1955, NBC; July 1955–1957, CBS; 1957–1959, NBC, comedy
Climax! – 1954–1958, CBS, dramatic anthology, LIVE
Country Music Jubilee – January 1955–1960, ABC, country music
December Bride – 1954–1959, CBS, comedy
Disneyland – 1954–1983, anthology
Father Knows Best – 1954/55, CBS; 1955–1958, NBC; 1958–1960, CBS
The George Gobel Show – 1954–1959, NBC; 1959/60, CBS, comedy variety
Lassie – 1954–1971, CBS; 1971–1974, Syndication, adventure
The Lawrence Welk Show – 1954–1971, ABC, music
The Lineup – 1954–1960, CBS, police drama
The Millionaire – January 1955–1960, CBS, dramatic anthology
People are Funny – 1954–1961, NBC, quiz
Shower Of Stars – 1954–1958, CBS, musical variety, LIVE
$64,000 Question – June 1955–1959, CBS, game
Spotlight – June 1955–1959, CBS, dramatic anthology
The Jack Paar Show – July 1957–1962, NBC, talk/variety
Undercurrent – July 1955–1958, CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns
Five Seasons (1953/54)
The Big Picture – 1953–1959, ABC, documentary
The Danny Thomas Show – 1953–1957, ABC; 1957–1965, CBS, comedy
The Loretta Young Show – 1953–1961, NBC, dramatic anthology
Midwestern Hayride – June 1954–1956, NBC; July 1957–1958, ABC; 1959, NBC, musical variety
Person to Person – 1953–1961, CBS, interview
Red Barber's Corner – 1953–1955, CBS; 1955–1958, NBC, sports commentary
U.S. Steel Hour – 1953–1955, ABC; 1955–1963, CBS, dramatic anthology, LIVE
Six Seasons (1952/53)
The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet – 1952–1966, ABC, comedy
The Adventures Of Superman – 1952–1958, syndication, adventure
Death Valley Days – 1952–1975, syndication, western anthology
General Electric Theater – February 1953–1962, CBS, dramatic anthology
The Life Of Riley – January 1953–1958, NBC, comedy
Name That Tune – June 1953–1954, NBC; 1954 – 1959, CBS, game
This Is Your Life – 1952–1961, NBC, testimonial
Seven Seasons (1951/52)
Dragnet – January 1952–1959, NBC, police drama
Goodyear TV Playhouse 1951–1960, NBC, dramatic anthology
I Love Lucy reruns – 1957–1959, September 1961, CBS, comedy
I’ve Got A Secret – June 1952–1967, CBS, game
Masquerade Party – 1952, NBC; 1953, 1954, CBS; 1954–Fall 1956, ABC; 1957, NBC; 1958, CBS; 1958/59, NBC; October
1959–January 1960, CBS; Jan–Sept 1960, NBC, quiz/panel
The Red Skelton Show – 1951–1953, NBC; 1953–1970, CBS, 1970/71, NBC; variety
Schlitz Playhouse – 1951–1959, CBS, dramatic anthology
Eight Seasons (1950/51)
The Adventures Of Wild Bill Hickok – April 1951–1958, syndication, western
The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show – 1950–1958, CBS, comedy
The Jack Benny Show – 1950–1964, CBS; 1964/65, NBC, comedy
You Asked For It – December 1950–1952, DUM; 1951–1959, ABC, audience participation
You Bet Your Life – 1950–1961, NBC, quiz
Nine Seasons (1949/50)
Armstrong Circle Theatre – June 1950–1957, NBC; 1957–1963, CBS, dramatic anthology
Beat The Clock – March 1950–1958, CBS, quiz
Pantomime Quiz – July 1950–1951, CBS; Jan–March 1952, NBC; 1952/53, CBS; 1953/54, DUM; summer of 1954,
CBS; Jan–March 1955, ABC; 1955–1957, CBS; 1958/59, ABC, quiz
The Voice of Firestone – 1949–1954, NBC; 1954–1959, ABC, music
What’s My Line? – February 1950–1967, CBS, game
Your Hit Parade – summer of 1950–1958, NBC; 1958/59, CBS, music
Ten seasons (1948/49)
Arthur Godfrey & His Friends – January 1949–1959, CBS, musical variety
Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts – 1948–1958, CBS, talent
The Jane Wyman Show – April 1949–1958, NBC, dramatic anthology
The Perry Como Show – 1948–1950, NBC; 1950–1955, CBS; 1955–1963, NBC, variety
Studio One – 1948–1958, CBS, dramatic anthology
Eleven seasons (1947/48)
The Ed Sullivan Show – June 1948–1971, CBS, variety
Meet The Press – November 1947–1965, NBC, interview
Original Amateur Hour – January 1948–1949, DUM; 1949–1954, NBC; 1955–1957, ABC; 1957/58, NBC; May
1959, CBS; March 1960, ABC, talent
Twelve seasons (1946/47)
Gillette Cavalcade Of Sports – 1946–1960, NBC, boxing
Kraft Television Theatre – May 1947–1958, NBC, dramatic anthology
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